10 Major Benefits of Having Spray Foam Insulation

10 Major Benefits of Having Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam or SPF (Spray Polyurethane Foam) is a popular choice among many homeowners. That’s because it has a list of amazing advantages. Here are ten of the best benefits of having spray foam insulation inside a home.

It saves energy efficiently

Spray foam is such an effective insulator that it’s able to save a large percentage of energy operating costs. With SPF, you can expect about 50% or more on energy savings per year. That’s almost twice as much as other insulation types typically offer.

It’s environmentally friendly

One of the major benefits of having spray foam is it’s eco-friendly appeal. With more and more homeowners being aware of today’s environmental issues, it’s no wonder that a lot of them turn to spray foam. Because SPF helps a household consume less energy, it helps create a more environmentally friendly home.

Additionally, many SPF brands are made from renewable resources and contain recycled plastic, yet another quality that makes this insulation type significantly less impactful to the planet. For more info on this, check out our post Spray Foam’s Major Eco-friendly Qualities.

It helps prevent ice dam problems

Insulation problems and deficiencies can cause ice dams to form. If your attic isn’t insulated properly, the roof can heat up and melt the snow that’s layered on top of it. The melted snow then drains towards the eaves where it refreezes. The icicles and eventually ice dams that form are a a sign of energy loss and can contribute to water damage. Spray foam insulation helps keep the roof deck cold so it doesn’t melt snow so quickly, there by reducing ice build up. Some roof designs and features effectively have no other choice but to use foam in some fashion to insulate them properly.

It’s airtight

Spray foam has great R-values, from 3.8 to 7+ per 1 inch of thickness but it’s resistance to air permeance is it’s secret weapon. It’s been proven to be 24 times less likely to allow air entry and air leakage compared to other types of insulation like fiberglass. This strong constitution helps your walls and ceilings become virtually windproof and that’s what allows SPF to perform so well. Air infiltration into an insulation material robs it dramatically of its ability to perform to its lab tested R-value rating. In real life conditions with fluctuating wind and humidity foam maintains its R-value because it doesn’t allow air to flow through it. Other insulation materials require multiple steps to keep air from leaking into them. Foam does this all at once.

It helps dampen noise

Millions of semi-rigid cells in open-cell foam help absorb sound waves at varying frequencies. And because spray foam is air-tight, it can help muffle the sounds travelling in your house. Nothing provides total sound isolation, but open-cell foam can help dampen airborne noise like the ones that come from running cars and barking dogs and flanking noise like the sound of plumbing drains.

It maintains good quality air

Fiberglass insulation is cheap and easy to install. However, that’s only because you’re paying for it with another price— expensive cleaning, energy loss and replacement costs for its disgusting tendency to build up dirt which pollutes the house with questionable air quality.

Spray foam, one the other hand, reduces dust and pollen infiltration because it seals. So you don’t have to worry about the air you’re breathing inside your own home.

It seals wiring and piping

One of the details that can be overlooked is air sealing the small penetrations in a structure for wiring and plumbing. By using spray foam these details are handled with the foam installation.

It combats mold

To stop microscopic invaders from growing and spreading you need to control the environment to prevent conditions for their reproduction. So keeping them filtered out of your home is part of the process as is controlling the moisture level that makes mold spores bloom. Foam’s ability to help control air movement as well as it’s water resistance (especially closed-cell foam) gives it a big advantage over other materials. This helps your home’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems do their jobs more efficiently to keep moisture and temperatures where they’re best for you and not molds.

It improves humidity levels

Many contractors prefer to use spray foam because it reduces HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) requirements. This reduces the cost of homes because smaller equipment is capable of handling the volume of a large structure when it’s not leaking so much. SPF expands and fills even the smallest corners. With its high R-value and quality sealing, it can help maintain consistent temperatures and humidity level inside the house. Hot air from the outside won’t be able to get in and mingle with the cool air from AC equipment, keeping the moisture level low and the humidity very comfortable.

It supports the home’s structure

Finally, spray foam provides additional support to a home. Closed-cell foam in particular adds structural strength as it glues building materials together. Since it can rapidly expand and fill cracks that would most likely be left open by other insulation types, it helps secure a building’s structural strength.

So where do you go next with questions?

Bauer Specialty Insulation has been providing insulation solutions to home and business owners since 2001. We are ready and able to help you understand your insulation options and which product choices make the most sense for your home’s needs. From below grade crawl spaces to the roof deck and walls and floors in between Bauer Specialty can assist you to make your home or business perform to it’s full potential. Contact us for a free consultation.